Desert Dreams

A styled shoot at Crowley Lake

This location was on my wishlist for nearly a year. Being that it is somewhat difficult to get to (a 45 minute walk) and it's especially difficult to convince anybody to get up and early enough to make it to the location by sunrise I started brainstorming a styled shoot with my good friend Lupe Nava. We had the location and style board ready, but didn't know where we would find adventurous willing models...

As fate would have it I was asked if I would be interested in photographing a baby blessing about 40 minutes away and then down a dirt road where there would be no cell service. UM, ABSOLUTELY! Once I arrived at the baby blessing I was immediately impressed by the community of friends that had camped out overnight during a crazy spring storm to celebrate the parents to be and this lovely soul, Emily, was one of the most radiant people there. Before leaving I asked if she would be interested in an adventure to model for a session at Crowley Lake, without hesitation she was in!

Im case you can't tell from the pictures alone, Emily and Dylan are two of the most loving, warm souls you could ever meet. We met in the dark down a bumpy dirt road and began our adventure in frigid temperatures. As the sun began to paint the sky we chatted about nature and how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful area. Eventually the sun began to break the horizon and give us hope for warmth, it was time for the fun to begin. 

Emily and Dylan warmed up by running with their pup along the shore laughing like kids and taking the occasional snuggle break. The way Emily looked at Dylan with pure love and the way he soaked in her gaze until holding her close melted my heart. The atmosphere was electric. Looking through their gallery I see at least as much energy in the portraits of the two of them embracing as I do in the dancing and running photos. Their chemistry is undeniable. This is the kind of love we dream of holding for a lifetime.  The greatest honor of being a photographer is getting to hold space and bear witness to the love people share. Emily and Dylan are not professional models. They are two kind people that are deeply in love with each other and with life. You do not need to be a model, you do not need to meet Vogue's beauty standards to have a a stunning photoshoot. You need to have fun, let go of the thought that you have to do everything a specific way, and trust your photographer! Leading up to the session Emily would joke about being too awkward to take stunning pictures... Guess what, at least 95% of my clients say that. Then they see their gallery and can't believe how beautiful they are. Yes, you are that beautiful in real life! That is how the rest of us see you.

As if the session itself wasn't incredible enough. The cherry on top was watching as the moon eclipsed the sun while we walked back to the cars. The eclipse reached its peak and brought back a chill as though it were dawn again. It's going to be pretty difficult to top this session, but I sure hope to make it back when the water is a bit lower and we are able to walk through the columns!